From Seinfeld to Scarface

How we created Bam's crib

One of the most important things I’ve learned as an artist is to treat the background not as something to fill the space behind your characters but like its own distinct character. Your settings need to have personality to be believable. That is even more true in a book like Sirens of the City. New York in the 1980s plays a giant role in our story, and as such, we spend a lot of time world-building, both on exterior and interior shots.

On Chapter 1, page 14, here is Joanne’s script direction:

PANEL 2

Rome walks into his cousin Bam's apartment. It's very tacky expensive. Like it's clearly small and not in a great neighborhood, but he's filled it with expensive things that are not necessarily tasteful. It's a lot of glass and chrome and leather. Like if Scarface was in the 80s. But he's still a trashy young adult and not taking care of anything. There are pizza boxes and take-out containers and empty 40s strewn around.  Bam is on the couch playing Nintendo and doesn't look up at Rome as he comes in. There's a girl sitting on the floor near his feet, wearing a negligee, watching him play.